One segment of the exhibition, put together by Dick ter Steege and Fineke van der Veen, is connected to the book and shows the reality of Coronie. Panels with historical building information show the results of an investigation into the most characteristic buildings of Coronie. Photographs of Coronians and phenomenon’s such as the open air museum of uncle Tjon and the ruins of the coconut factory – once upon a time the pride of Coronie. A connection between art and reality is achieved by the installation: Mary’s Hope – Burnside – Mary’s Hope (l, ll, lll), ‘an attempt to pass on an experience’ (video, photo course and photo series).

Coronie is also a source of inspiration for artists. On the welcoming billboard which you see when you enter the district it says: Coronie: Vredig, Vrij en Vriendelijk (Coronie: Peaceful, Free and Friendly). But quickly you start to realize, that under the apparent sense of peace, the discontentment smolders. And free, what is free? Free to sit by the side of the road? Free, once every few years to vote, yet to never be heard? Friendliness, yes, that is precisely our weak spot, says someone, it is because we are friendly that everyone thinks that they can take us for fools and do with us as they please. But is Coronie really that friendly? No, several people say, there is a prevailing sense of mistrust and jealousy. Yes, others say, it is a wonderful, restful place to live. In the exhibition De verleiding van Coronie/2 eight Surinamese artists (and one from The Hague) display their perception of Coronie. Sunil Puljhun uses graphic black and white to show the endangered position of Coronie; Rinaldo Klas refers to the strength of the sea regarding ‘Land loss’; Kurt Nahar uses his characteristic style to utter a protest in his collage Stop trein 8B (Stop train 8B); from René Tosari we see his impression Coronie libi de (Coronie there is life) (lll); Roddney Tjon Poen Gie combines signs from his Afro-Chinese heritage with Coronian architecture in Balkon (Balcony), Close to the oceanrefers to the geographic position of Coronie; The title of the large painting by George Struikelblok, is a call to join hands (in Coronie): Yepi makandra (Help each other). In paint and photo collageFineke van der Veen shows her fascination for the slow demise of the houses; Soeki Irodikromo was inspired by the typical street scenes in Coronie and Sri Irodikromo indulges her sense of color on canvas in a dreamy atmospheric impression.

Dromers, doemdenkers en doorzetters; verhalen van mensen en gebouwen in Coronie, was presented in November 2010 in Paramaribo and Coronie, Suriname. Simultaneously showing in the Surinaams Museum/Fort Zeelandia in Paramaribo, was the exhibition De Verleiding van Coronie/1 while fifteen Surinamese visual artists displayed their perception of Coronie in the art exhibition Vredig, Vrij en Vriendelijk in the exhibition venue De Hal (Readytex Art Gallery). Readytex Art Gallery also has a Facebook page.

The project Coronie! has been made possible with financing from the Dutch Embassy in Paramaribo and Stichting De Zaaier in Utrecht.

Photos of the Coronie inspired art exhibition in Suriname, November 2010 can be found here.